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It’s hard to believe we are where we are. Last Sunday we were near Blue Ridge where Ramón kick-started the week by running up a mountain – no exaggeration. Then, on Monday morning, we sipped coffee while watching the sunrise from the comfort of a hot tub, soaking in the glorious moment unfolding before us. Then, after returning home and getting groceries for the week, we received the phone call that would turn life upside down once again. Ramón immediately turned on his speaker phone, and I knew something was wrong the moment I heard the doctor’s voice. Her typically calm demeanor carried a twinge of dread, and then she asked, “Are you at home?” At that moment, I was certain I didn’t want to hear what was coming.

So, that’s what brings us back to the Emory tower we came to know all too well last year. In some ways it feels surreal to be here, and in other ways it's as though we never left. As we drove here on Wednesday morning, we realized how grateful we were that we hadn’t spen…

Yesterday started off like your typical day: Ramón and I were evaluating which of our dogs would have the most success on American Ninja Warrior. By the end of the day, however, we were discussing where the dogs should go for the next month or so while we’re in the hospital. You read that correctly.

I know many of you are probably thinking, ‘Wait, didn’t he just run a half-marathon?’ Yes, he did. In fact, after getting off the shocking phone call with the doctor last night, it didn’t take long for him to have an epiphany: “I could have gotten a much better time if I didn’t have cancer.”

On February 10, Ramón had a routine bone marrow biopsy as part of the AML monitoring phase. By Friday, the doctors knew that he’d relapsed. Rather than telling us on Valentine’s Day – as we shared a romantic dinner from the Wendy’s drive-thru – the doctor wanted to wait until Monday. Just to think … Ramón was initially diagnosed on his birthday and could have been re-diagnosed on Valentine’s Day. I gu…

Yesterday Ramón completed a half-marathon that he’s been training for since his counts recovered following his last round of chemo. Younger, pre-cancer Ramón ran half-marathons whenever he pleased with little to no preparation whatsoever. He’s always been quite athletic, and we have ongoing debates about which professional athletes he thinks he could beat in a 40-yard dash. Ramón also claims that, if he had known the rules of football when he played in high school, he would have been very talented. Yes, he played high school football despite not knowing how downs worked.

After walking through the emergency room doors on May 7, Ramón hadn’t set foot outside the confines of the hospital except for the ambulance ride transferring him from one hospital to another. After getting clearance to come off the continuous infusions, he was excited to be freed from his IV pole, which he called his “ball and chain.” On May 22, Ramón was feeling pretty good and wanted to walk to the cafeteria (Imagi…